1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electric toaster, more particularly to an electric toaster that can enhance safety.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional electric toaster includes a housing having a toasting compartment, and a carriage. The toasting compartment is provided with slots at its top for receiving bread to be toasted. An electric heating unit is disposed in the toasting compartment. The carriage is operable so as to move between an upper position and a lower position. When the carriage is disposed in the upper position, the electric heating unit is deactivated. When the carriage is moved to the lower position, the electric heating unit is activated so as to toast the bread loaded in the carriage. In a normal state, the carriage can be moved automatically from the lower position to the upper position in a known manner after a predetermined toasting cycle. Generally, an excited electromagnet is used to attract the carriage during the toasting cycle. It is noted that an over-heating problem cannot be prevented when the carriage is jammed at the lower position for some reason. In order to overcome the aforesaid problem, a relay can be used to control the supply of electric power to the electric heating unit. Such a solution, however, results in a relatively high cost.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an electric toaster that can effectively control deactivation of an electric heating unit even when jamming of a carriage occurs.
According to the present invention, an electric toaster comprises:
a housing including a toasting compartment;
an electric heating unit disposed in the toasting compartment;
a carriage mounted in the toasting compartment and movable vertically among a lower limit position, an upper limit position, and a toasting position between the lower limit and upper limit positions and located closer to the lower limit position as compared to the upper limit position, whereby a food item to be toasted is adapted to be loaded in and unloaded from the carriage when the carriage is in the upper limit position, and whereby the food item is adapted to be toasted when the carriage is in the toasting position;
a biasing device disposed in the housing for biasing the carriage to the upper limit position;
a magnetically-attracted retaining mechanism including
a support seat movably supported by the carriage so as to be movable together with the carriage among the upper limit position, the lower limit position and the toasting position, the support seat being further movable relative to the carriage between an upper releasing position and a lower retaining position,
a biasing member provided on the support seat for biasing the support seat to the upper releasing position,
a magnetically-attracted plate mounted on the support seat, and
a switch actuator provided on the support seat;
a control unit connected electrically to the electric heating unit, the control unit including a power switch unit disposed in the housing and switched by the switch actuator from an OFF-mode, where electric power to the electric heating unit is cut-off, to an ON-mode, where electric power is supplied to the electric heating unit, when the carriage is moved from the upper limit position to the lower limit position upon application of an external force against biasing action of the biasing device; and
an electromagnet disposed in the housing adjacent to the carriage and connected electrically to the control unit, the electromagnet being energized by the control unit when the power switch unit is switched from the OFF-mode to the ON-mode to attract the magnetically-attracted plate so that, once the external force applied for moving the carriage to the lower limit position is relieved, the biasing device biases the carriage to move from the lower limit position to the toasting position, thereby holding the support seat in the lower retaining position against biasing action of the biasing member and thereby holding the carriage in the toasting position.